Variety (Dec 1929)

52 VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday, December 18, 1929 Literati Hi Hatters Freelance artlyta who . peddle drawings of screen stars to the Sun- day papers and then submit a bill to the press departments are ga- ing very high hat. In addition, to the money, some are demandins first night tickets as a preroga- tive. And they have boosted their rate from |10 a column to As fihii companies have no super- vision over the matter a.t all and as the hordes of freelances sponge lobby photographs costing $1 each, some of the film companies are grumbling about the racket. City Room Tales Edward Dean SuUivaft, author of "Sold Out," is preparing f'or publi- cation "I'll Tell * My Brother,", a series of newspaper anecdotes. Plain Talk, and How! B, A, MacKinnon, pr6si lent of Mackinnon-Fly Publication^, which publishes "Plain Talk," states there have been no negotiation^ by Ber- narr Macfadden to publish', the monthly, Mackinnon says his magazine has always beien opposed to.prohibitlori, but he thinks it might be a good thing for the Variety mitgg .who turned in the denied story. Making exceptions again. "Book Chat" Melts "Brentano's Book Chat," llterarj monthly which the Brentano book house has been getting out for some years, expires with the current Is- sue. Too expensive. The "Book Chat" until recently edited by L. Rinehart, son of Maty Roberts Rinehart, the novelist, and now the book publisher. Sunday In October of each year shall be set aside as a national me- nftorial day dedicated to the mein ory of all deceased newsipaper men and wdm«n," George A. Welsh, R., of Phlladel-' phia. Pa., Introduced the bill. RITZY Scribe in House Louis Ludlow, former Washington newspaper correspondent, who is now a member of the House, has a contest on his hands. Ralph E. Up- dike, Republican candidate, seeks the seat. Ludlow was president of the Na Uonal Press Club when elected to Congress. He upset a Republican seat that had been that way for years. Paul Block has added another daily, Duluth News-Tribune. Blpok may combine Ic with his "Herald " In the same city. New York "Sun" pays 60c. a line for the poetry it uses on its editorial page. Mayer Publishing Herbert Mayer, . whose "Parlo - rama" flopped, has become a pab- lisher again. The new venture is "The Beautician," devoted, to the task of making women beautifuL Dell Publishing Co., is rushing to garner the sea-story thing for^) It- self. The new mags gotten put by that house are "Navy. Stories" and "Submarine- Stories." Harry. Steeger will edit "Subrcarine Stories." Book Publishers Flopping At least two book publishers arfi finding business 80"totigh they may pass out before the winter is ov^r. One, quite prominent In the field, has had a number of money men actively associated with him, each stepping out in turn when learning how things were going. Girl Publicists Advertising and publicity end of the book publishing business re- veals an amazing ineptitude on -"he parts of its workers In almost every case these duties are handled by young women without previous experience and unfitted for the work. They are the literary 'types." who, failing to succeed at writing on their own, go in as the inevit- able readers or in charge of pub- licity. These young women have no idea of exploitation or general publicity In the strict sense of the word. They merely confine theimselves to the cut-and-dried notices of forth- coming publications, to the literary sections of the newspapers or mags Most every tim<9 the girl p. a. is out to a caller with the explanation that she is having tea with this author or that. One of thd require- ments for the job must be a capa- city for tea. The girls from the various pub- lishing houses know each other well and stick together. When one of the publishing houses recently wised up to the gal who was hand- ling Its advertising and publicity, she framed It so that a friend in the same capacity with another publisher grot her job, and she got the other's position. l^hai w oul^^^ agieni: ever'gor'in with "one book publishing liouses? ' for Dead Journalists I to be the first of its I is now a bill before the 'Washington' reading as ited , « . that the last Hollywood's Latest Latest from Hollywood is Fasci nation Magazine, a 5% by f in. af- fair, printed on red, green and white paper, published by Delbert B. Dav^ enport, former scenario writer and trade paper news hound in the col- ony. • , Contents are short stories, most- ly by Davenport, who got out the first issue on a shoestring, sitting at the linotype machine In a Los Angeles Mexican print shop to set up most of the material himself Mag is oh the book stands for 25c with a mission "to discover and publish fiction which gives promise of developing a new and ultra mod, em literature." Ripley's Huge Public Christmas is illegal in Scotla.nd! This is not idle wisecrack, but it is the latest nugget of Ripley, of "Believe It or Not" fame. Although .Ripley will not . divulge the dajta proving the staterhent, he asserted that the informa;tIon will be syndi- cated by. him Christmas week, wltli fuir explanation. Riplfey, paradoxically enough, has become the source himself of sev- eral entertaining b.i.b.n.'s. He has the biggest public of any word man —20,000,000 readers all over the globe; receives an average of no less than a. million letters a year, aside from 240 newspapers a day; received one letter addressed and wfitten on a postage stamp with a sold frame. Joe Copk Fall» Joe Cook has gone lityatl, even as the rest. He delivered his MSS; 1 "Why I Will Not Imitate Four Hawaiians" to Simon and Schuster, which publishing firm announced the book, would be on the market shortly. Press Club Election National Press Club In Washing- ton counted the biggest vote In its history for the election of officers Dec. 16. , Norman Baxter, m. e. of the Wash- ington tost, was elected president by a vote of 201 against Paul Woo- ten's 163,-Wooten is correspondent of the New Orleans Times-Pica- yune. Baxter will succeed Russell Kent, of the Birmingham News on Janu- ary 18, with the installation of offi- cers. Warren W. Wheaton, Philadelphia Public Ledger, wad re-elected vice- president witliout opposition. Mark Thistlethwaite, Indianapolis News, (Continued on page 55) In England is a certain important family. A younger son was at one time interested In an American ac' tress who. has become a favorite in London. It is believed his parents arranged his suitable marriage a few years ago, to get him away from the actress. There is a still younger spn. All last summer, and into tills fall he was encountered with a i>eautiful American girl, who (Jivorced one husband and married another/ She is believed to liav^ acquired a habit, and to have ini- tiated the well-connected youth liito its mysteries/ His people iftnaily sent him .to a..sanltarliimj and there is report, the American charmer was pointedly advised to discontinue the friendship, if. not the habit, A curious sidelight to this case Is that an American society reporter published a story avowing that the friendship with the youth had hot only got the woman .into the best society in England, but had enabled her relatives also to enjoy this prestige. No wonder the English consider Americans peculiar! One of the most conspicuous American ac- tresses In London is the recognized leader of a cult hinted at in a drama banned here a few seasons ago. In the Register Thei'e are various former ac- tresses recorded in the Social Reg- ister, but the only ex-vaudevlllian is Jessie Pickens, of the Abbott Sis- ters. Jessie, wife of Dr. Henry Hamilton M. Lyle, of 1217 Park ave- nue, was recently awarded $12,500 for Injuries suffered in an autbnio- bile accident, an express truck hav- Ing hit a taxicab in which Mrs. Lyle was riding. Former legit actresses In the So- cial Register include Mrs. August Belmont (Eleanor Robson), Mrs. Paul D. Cravath (Agnes Hunting- ton), Mrs.. Juch Wellmaii (Emma Juch), Mrs. William Astor Chanler (Minnie Ashley) and Mrs; Joseph Warren Burden (Margery Maude). Clare Eames was recorded prior to her separation from Sidney Howard, playwright. At Palni. Beach The Palm Beach season Is under way^ Tuvith many villas occupied and notables at the hotels. Mr. and Mrs. Fontaine Fox have leased one of the Phipps cottages' at Gulf Stream. Major and Mrs. Barclay H. Warbnr- ton have been joined by Mary Brown Warburtori, who in the past has been reported engaged to Harry Fender and William Collier, Jr. Rodman Wanamaker is at La Querlda. Mr. and Mrs. FInley I>eter Dunne are in residence. Mr. and Mrs. John Held, Jr., and children are at their new house in the Manana estates. Mrs. Paul Whiteman Is occupying a villa. Mr, and Mrs. Arthur Somers Roche, who tried Newport last summer, are pre- pared to rub shoulders with the elect. (His play, "The Crooks' Con- vention," was a flop, but her 'novel, "Move Over," was a hit.) Mr, and Mrs, Maurice Fatio are there. He was one of several co-respondents named by Thomas W» Symington. Later he married Eleanor Chase, of Oshkosh, heiress to the $6,000,000 trunk fortune of her late father. Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hylan have made a reservation at the Royal (Continued on page 56) London as It Look By Hannen SwafFer London, Dec. g Ethel Waters failed to impress the Palladium audience, at least ths night that I was there. Her trouble, I am told, is that "Variety" that George Black was going to supervise her aoiigs and that tiiis state- ment so^ annoyed her that she would not alter her program in any .way. ' *.. ^ That was Nora Bayes's trouble the last time she came over, fi^^ arrived with a lot of songs that no one knew and no one wanted and. when they clamored for '^Broadway Blues" and ''My Sweetie "V^anf A'vvay," and the things they knew, Nora went on singing a lot of tripe. . They . Never Go to Georgia Ethel Waters came on and sang something about "goiiig back to Gebrgla"-r—of course, no one ever goes back—and then a dreary monoI6» about' "It takes a good woman to keep a good man at home," just tire- some, and without a-sna lie. Then there was something else as dreary that i forieret, and then she came before the tabs and did"Dinah,'' which someone told me was on the gramophone> It heed not have been. On the first night, I believe, Ethel Waters satifir something that wAa thought indecent by the audience. The night I went, there Were per- liaps three smallish laughs in a long turn. So that's that. The Water Rats Leave the Water • Wiieri I went to the Water Rats annual carnival at the Park Lane hotel, I went to the first dinner where they had tried to gag me before hand—that is except the Dutch Treat Club, that used to meet at Browne's Chop Hoiise. When I was in New York 10 years ago, Jack CosgraVe of the New 'York "World," warned me not. to mention Bolshevism and Ireiandi So, of course, that was all I talked about. ' Fred Russell, the Kipg Rat,, wrote me saying that, as managers had been chary of accepting invitations to their gathering and they were going this year, he wanted me to be discreet. I suppose he meant I must not mention split commissions, wholesale importation of poor American acts, song plugging,/Claques or, as a matter of fact, anything. . All the Comics Were There The. vast gathering, which included nearly all tlie famous variety comedians of England, all the Jack Hyltons, Will Fjrffies, Talbot O'Far- rells and Charles Coborns, Joe Elvin, Joe O'Gorman, many of the old ones, all cheered when, after skirting around the subject for several minutes, I said, "Cannot pne be English—in England?" Charlie Austin made the finest speech of the night in broad Ccokney slang, and James Gold, of Naughton and Gold, created a sensation by- Walking across* the ballroom wearing only his shirt! Harry Gillespie Joins in the Rag R. H, Gillespie, who enjoyed the rag more than anybody, had a. mock fight with Charlie Austin, with Talbot 0'Parr61l as referee, and with scores of comics and soubrettes and Vocalists standing around cheering. Altogether it-was a very merlry evening. :ToU have* I believe, a fine La!mbs Club rag. Such a thing would'be Impossible, If attempted by the legitiniate stage here, for too much snobbery prevails. But the vaudeville side of the business is brotherly, human and possessed of a broad sense of humor. They did everything except throw rolls. . Alan Parsons Goes on Strike Alan Parsons, the "Daily Mall" critic, has gone on strike. He Is the most patient of critics, calm and generous and really dignified In spite of all, for he used to be a Fbreigrt Office secretary-. Ivfow, after having been to 184 plays this year, he has rebelled against the fact that, leaving out Sunday evening and other special productions, he has been to thia Strand theatre no fewer than 13 times. Certainly, the Strand has had a strange run of bad plays—■"The Monster," "The BeeUe," "The Enemy." "Road to Rome," "The Admiral's Secret"—a month's run has seemed a long time. The Rival to "Journey's End" "Tunnel Trench" Is In a new theatre; otherwise it is not very In- teresting. Hubert Griffith, the "Evening Standard" critic, had this play staged, five years ago, by the Repertory Players. It is a plea for peace, show- hig, by means of battle scenes, the waste of war. Germans and English fraternize in a trench and meanwhile staflt officers walk about the rooms of headquarters staff wondering how the battle is going to end. R. C. Sherriff, who was there, was interviewed by the "Daily News'' as to what* he thought of it. Fancy the nonsense of asking one dramaUst what he things of an- other dramaUst's play. That ia why critics should not be dramatists or vice versa. Ttru X c. War Hero Missed His Chance What Sherriff ought to have said was "'Tunnel Trench' Is not nearly as good as my play. It is not so well acted. It is not so well written. It was not so well produced. My play is a success. This play will be a failure. *^ ' ; TT^'i*, uu ^* ''^ar hero as he is, was not heroic enough as that. He Diahhed. . T^ey" are ^talking about giving Sherriff a knighthood. I do not believe It. There is no reason why they should, Sherriff wrote a play and made a lot of money out of it. he ought to be knighted for his peace propaganda. plly ^"^ propaganda, consciously. He just wrote a BEST SELLERS (C-ompiled by Brentano's, retail booksellers) Fiction ;;Hudson River Bracketed"., ....Edith Wharton A Farewell to-Arms". Ernest Heiningway ..T^t^ ,r?n-^°^"• :oiiver La Farge ^piana (2^ vols.) ....Emil LudWig Ancestor JpncO".............................. .William J. Locke Non-Fiction' "Marriage and Morals" .Bertrand Russell In the Evening of My Thought" (2 vols.)... .Georges Clemenceau 'Wor the Defense". Edward Marjorlbanka New Worlds to Conquer". Richard Halliburton •Davia Lloyd George; . , j. h. Edwards., M. P. Compiled by Arthur R. Womrath, wholesale, retail booksellers) Fiction "Farewell to Arms". ..Ernest Hemingway ;;Ex-Husband" .Anonymous Gallery of Women" Theodore Dreiser .„-,g?i3pnjChocolfiteS^^ ■^"a i .Emil Ludwig Non-Fiction ''The Specialist" ^hic Sale "Caught Short" Eddie Cantor Is Sex ^ecessary?" ....Tliurber and White New Worlds to Conquer" Richard Halliburton Peter Arno's Parade"..... peter Arno Tn^ T,r „ . "^^^ Subject of the Town Talk i^^Jr^fl f*"^' just^back from New York, tells me that Evelyn Laye Sti thft Krh.,f."^^^°Ii '^^^ " is certainly a great S lnrrS ^^^^^' ^umph has synchronized with the starting of a divorce case against her hysband, Sonnle Hale • inl^XT\^IT%^ are regarded as very much more serious than Lv^Jn W »ll • Jf«?»«. Matthews, who diyorced her husband, Henry Z'J 1 Z discretion of the court because she had been looking at Sonnle Haie. thert rnir°' ^° "u"'^' good in England. In fact, they do Evelvn of Snnr^f TS" ^""^^ ^^^"^ stars goCd. thouei i^Ti^f ' ?l.?™«lfss • She is almost pristine, in fact. Al- rv^i" a: :i^ll\Ke°sh?ir^^^^ chma, to lookat. she w^uld not break hef\*o^dl^?'«L"^°*'';/*'"^i when Lady Louis Mountbatten asked be eipecl:? tfslng"'' because ^her dresser thought she would _ Another Sacks Fiasco Ttnw ^.3?"^- J"" 13" came off last after losing, they said, $40,000. ?aThZ. „.Y?« """^ t'^'^' I not kn^. but J. L Sacks J "® the managers to find out which of the creditors had of honor'° ^^"^ ^^""^ because he would regard ft as "a debt -=^re^Wneariyrrowc^^ Another Attempt at Equity attempt to form an,Actors' Equity, the movers, this time, bemg the Film Artists Guild luny, mo fiim^'tr^ifr^ founder; of this, was blacklisted by the ^hl wav Sn?J'^ demanded better conditions for the crowd, onlv ne«n?^ ^ "^^^^^ ^^^^ disgraceful. Indeed, the